The truth behind Project: Shadow
by Golden Saphir
Summary: DISCONTINUED. Shadow has dreams about something which happened over fifty years ago. Does it have something to do with his creation? Read to find out. No Flames. Chapter 3 up.
1. Prolouge

**The Truth Behind Project Shadow**

**Prologue**

**Fifty-nine years ago:**

A young male Hedgehog not much older than seven sat in the rain in the Mystic Ruins. He had red streaks on his spikes, arms and just next to his eyes. Tears were flooding out of his eyes. He kept pushing and poking against a large red female Hedgehog, his mother, pleading to get her to wake up. Her body was lying on the ground, a large wound in her chest. Clearly she had been murdered. Just six feet from her was a large black male Hedgehog. He too had a wound in his chest and was lying on the ground. Their son thought they were asleep, and continuously tried to get them to wake up.

To no avail.

He kept trying for another three hours. It was nearly sunset by this time. The young Hedgehog was becoming weary. Tears were still rushing from his eyes.

It was then he heard something, the snapping sound of a branch breaking under some weight. He turned in the direction of the sound. A large man, bald, with a moustache that had very few specks of brown left on it. He was wearing expedition gear, and also hoping to search and find rare specimens in the jungle. He didn't find these though. Just the young Hedgehog staring at him with tears in his eyes.

"Wh-wh-who are you?" the black Hedgehog asked, scared that the human might do something to him.

"Me?" The human asked, looking down at the Hedgehog child. "I'm Gerald Robotnik." He then turned his head to the parents and winced at the sight of them. He knew instantly this child would not have much longer left alive if no-one found him. He turned back to the child.

"Do you know what's happened to my mommy and daddy?" The child asked, tears slowly stopping from appearing.

"I'd like to tell you, but you are not of age." Gerald said, a sad expression on his face. "Well, seeming as you know my name, what is yours?" He asked.

"Shadow the Hedgehog." The Hedgehog child said.

"Well, Shadow, your parents called me to come and pick you up." Gerald lied. "I am one of their best friends and I'm sure you can trust me?" He asked, raising a hand out in front of him, smiling.

Shadow looked at the hand, then back to Gerald's face, before placing his small hand in the humans. Little did he know of the events to change his life…


	2. Who Am I?

**The Truth Behind Project: Shadow**

**Chapter One: "Who Am I?"**

Shadow woke in a cold sweat. It was the tenth time he had this dream. He rolled over and looked at the time. 03:43 AM. He then sat up and looked down at the floor, before getting out his bed. He looked down at his girlfriend Tiara, before kissing her lightly on the cheek and covering her with more blankets.

Putting on a jacket and his air shoes, Shadow walked out onto his balcony and looked up at the night sky. He couldn't help but think as to what the dream meant. Who were those Hedgehogs and that human? And who was he? No matter how hard he tried, even with help, Shadow couldn't remember his past from before his revival at Prison Island. Only fragments of a girl called Maria, a man called Gerald and flashing lights were what he could remember.

Tiara rolled over and placed her and on where Shadow should be. Only when she found he wasn't there, she woke in panic. Grabbing her dressing gown, she ran around the apartment looking for him. She eventually found him on the balcony.

"Shadow!" She shouted at him, making him jump and nearly fall over the rail.

"Sorry Tiara." Shadow said, regaining himself.

"It's that dream again isn't it?" Tiara asked her boyfriend. She had known about the dream for four nights now.

"I can't take it." Shadow said, sounding hopeless.

Tiara looked at him, saddened at him saying this. She walked over to him, taking his hand into hers.

"I know that you don't know anything about your past, but it's the future we should be concerned about." Tiara said, before wrapping her arms around him.

Shadow copied her, holding her close to him. He kissed her lightly on the cheek again. She then moved and pressed her lips against his. After two minutes, they separated.

Tiara was the first to speak. "Get some rest Shadow. You need it."

She was right. Every time he had that dream, he was awake for the rest of the night. His physical appearance was beginning to break.

"OK." He said, trying to stop himself from sounding weary or fed up.

They both went back inside to finish the night.

**Next day: Tails' Place:**

Tiara wasn't the only one Shadow had told about his dream. Sonic, Tails and Amy also knew. Luckily, the five had nothing happening during the day and so planned to talk about his problems.

Shadow and Tiara were the last two to arrive at Tails' house, because of what happened the night before. They were welcomed in upon arrival.

"Want anything to drink?" Tails asked automatically, as the two hedgehogs made it into the lounge, where Sonic and Amy were waiting.

Tiara looked at Shadow before answering. "We're fine thanks."

With that, the two tailed fox entered the room and took the chair next to the window. Sonic and Amy were sat opposite the room, and Shadow and Tiara were sat opposite the door.

"So, what do you see in these dreams Shadow?" Sonic asked, trying not to be intrusive.

"I see a small black Hedgehog, lost in a forest." Shadow started. "A Human appears and takes him into his care."

"Anything happen afterwards?" Amy asked.

Shadow nodded. "Some electric bolts, some capsules and science equipment. I don't know anything after that."

"Well, there were many files back up on the Space Colony ARK." Tails said, intrigued. "I'm wondering if those actually have truth on your past. I mean, you can't remember and none of us are keeping it a secret."

Shadow sighed. He knew Sonic and Tails couldn't have found those files because they were helping stop the ARK from falling into the earth. He knew Amy couldn't have because she was watching them stop the ARK. And Tiara definitely couldn't have because she had only been with the group for a few months. Before he could think anymore, he found himself in a flashback. Tiara and the others could only watch has he stood up in his trance.

Shadow saw before him Eggman and himself. They had just obtained the seventh Chaos Emerald. The plan was complete. The President had not submitted the country. So Eggman decided to use the Eclipse Cannon to prove his point. Shadow watched as the Emerald was inserted into the control panel. At this, he took off at top speed away from the control room.

"Who am I?" He asked himself. The others just watched him, before he took off at full speed out of the house.

"SHADOW!" Tiara screamed, tears beginning to stream down her face. She had never seen Shadow like this before.

"Sonic?" Amy turned to the blue Hedgehog. He knew what she was going to ask him, and in a flash he had left the house as well.


	3. Decisions

Finally, the story returns from hiatus. Not as good as the other stories so far, but it will get better.

**The Truth Behind Project: Shadow**

**Chapter 2: Decisions**

In less than a minute, Shadow had got from Tails' place to the Chaos Lake. He was still in a trance. Noticing the water, he quickly regained consciousness.

"What am I doing here?" He asked, staring at his reflection in the water.

At that second, Sonic appeared behind him.

"Shadow, are you okay?" The blue Hedgehog asked his dark counterpart.

Shadow just continued to stare at the water. "I don't know." He replied. "All I want to know is why I have this dream and why my past isn't there."

Sonic placed a hand on the black Hedgehog's shoulder. "If you want to know about your past, then you know where it is." He said.

"Space Colony ARK." Shadow muttered.

Shadow looked up at the sky. He knew he had to go. But how could he get there? All the shuttles had been used to get between the Hidden Base in the desert and the ARK. He stopped thinking as Tails, Amy and Tiara appeared.

"Tiara…" Shadow said, looking at her sad expression on her face. He walked over to her and hugged her. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Tiara cried into his shoulder.

Tails then raised the subject again. "So what are we going to do?"

"We're going to the ARK." Shadow said.

"But how do we get there?" Amy asked. She was right, how was the group going to get there?

"Oh, that's no problem." Tails said. The others looked at him confused. "I've been looking through the databases in Eggman's old hidden base and I found that there is one shuttle left for a return journey."

"That's cool." Sonic replied. "Come on guys, let's-". Tails cut him off.

"I would go with you, but if I went, Cream would come with me, and it would be too dangerous." Tails said. "Sorry, but I guess you'll be going without a computer expert."

"Oh, no need to worry about that." A came voice from behind Sonic and Amy. They turned around to see Rouge. "After all the research I did before the Final Hazard, it shouldn't be too hard."

"So that's Shadow, Tiara, Rouge and me." Sonic said. He got elbowed in the ribcage. "And Amy. That's five of us."

"What should we take with us?" Amy asked out of curiosity.

"The usual, food and things to do." Sonic said mockingly. Shadow shot him a death-glare. "Alright, alright, just food."

"And when are we going to go?" Tiara asked.

"Two days would be the best idea." Rouge answered. "We can't have Shadow suffer much more."

The five animals looked at the Bat in shock. "How did you know I was suffering?" Shadow asked.

"It helps to be a spy sometimes." Rouge answered, trying to stay calm.

Both the male Hedgehogs took a step towards her, causing her to flee. When she realised they weren't chasing her, she returned.

"So where should we meet up?" Shadow asked.

"The Base of course." Sonic replied. "At least we don't have to dance around the city before leaving for the desert."

It was settled then and there. Shadow, Tiara, Sonic, Amy and Rouge were going to the ARK to discover the Shadow's lost past.


	4. Return of the Egg Golem

Author's Note – When you read the words "Two hours", that is how long it took me to get through the pyramid part of Sonic Adventure 2 Battle as Sonic, Tails and Knuckles the first time (excluding bosses).

Also please review. That is the only way I will continue this story. I won't bother continuing with it else. I might also comic-adapt it as well.

**The Truth Behind Project: Shadow**

**Chapter 3: Return of the Egg Golem**

As planned, the five met up at the Hidden Base just two days later. Rouge was the first to make it, followed by Sonic and Amy, then Shadow and Tiara. With the group together, they broke down the door of the Base.

It was extremely dusty. Cobwebs were in all corners. The torches were all burnt out. Sunlight was the only thing lighting the hall way. Sonic then disappeared. Then, within five minutes, he returned again with flashlights.

"Show-off." Shadow muttered under his breath.

"So guys, should we go fast or slow?" Sonic asked.

"Slow." Amy and Rouge said together instantly, knowing how scary it was when Sonic got from place to place at breakneck speeds.

"I say fast." Shadow said. "We can't wait forever." With that, he picked up Tiara and ran down the corridor.

"Well, ladies, care for a run?" Sonic said, grinning at the two. Rouge smashed him over the head with her flash light.

"The three of us will walk." She said bluntly. Amy just giggled.

After waiting for two hours, Shadow and Tiara finally saw the trio approach them. They could hear Rouge shouting at the top of her voice.

"I told you to keep it the hell away from us!" She shouted at the blue Hedgehog.

"Can you really blame me?" Sonic shouted defensively. "That spider was way too big to attack directly!"

Shadow and Tiara looked at each other. They couldn't help but laugh to their selves.

"Well, we're here now." Amy said, when the trio reached Shadow and Tiara.

"Have you still got the Chaos Emeralds?" Shadow asked. Rouge jumped. All head turned to her.

"I must have dropped them back when that spider attacked us." She said. Sonic sighed.

"Hang on." The blue blur said before racing off. It was half a minute before he returned with the glistening gems.

"Are you sure you want to take these into space after what happened last time?" Amy asked the dark Hedgehog.

"Yes." He answered darkly. "I'm not convinced that we destroyed the Bio Lizard. In fact I think there was another one."

"I don't want to fight another one." Sonic said trying to sound like a child. Amy and Tiara laughed.

The five eventually reached the room where Knuckles had defeated the Ghost King.

"Okay, so now where do we go?" Shadow asked.

"I think it was through that door there." Sonic said, pointing to a small red door in the in the distance.

"I thought it was that one." Amy said, pointing to a green door which was closer.

"Oh god." Tiara blurted out. "We're lost."

"Oh wait." Shadow said. "Whenever me, Eggman and Rouge needed to go into space, we always took the Blue door." He said, pointing at an even closer door.

"We are lost." Rouge said.

The three hedgehogs broke out into an argument about which door they needed to get to the Launching area. Sonic eventually won when he said that they went through the red one and found the Egg Golem. Amy supported him.

After making their way through the Red section of the base, the five came to a circular room with parts of the floor missing. There was quicksand directly below.

"Okay." Amy said. "Eggman is really kind for not stopping that thing destroy the floor."

"Something's not right." Shadow said, looking around the room.

"He's right." Sonic and Tiara said in unison. "There shouldn't be a hole in the ceiling." Sonic finished.

At that precise second, a large head appeared in the centre of the room. It had holes and burnt areas across its face.

"I didn't mean the ceiling idiot." Shadow said.

After the head stop rising, a full torso and arms were viewable. There were burnt areas and more holes sectioned across the chest.

"This can't be…?" Sonic said, looking at it.

"It is Sonic." Rouge answered. "The Egg Golem."


End file.
